


As Catch Can

by RhineGold



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Sexual Orgies are Cool in Storybrooke, Awkward Flirting, Awkward Sexual Situations, Light Bondage, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-28
Updated: 2021-02-28
Packaged: 2021-03-12 02:22:48
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 2,810
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29752653
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RhineGold/pseuds/RhineGold
Summary: He never participates.It's strange, really, considering. Especially considering that this is his home. Perhaps that's part of it, when he thinks about it - Gold is a private, personal creature. Allowing all of these people into his intimate spaces, especially for /this/ must be uncomfortably intimate, even more so than any participation could actually be.But a person's body isn't their home, no matter how private they are. But Gold continues to circumvent what is expected of him in a way that seems strange, seems almost... illegal. Archie knows he doesn't much care for these evenings. It's not the casualness of the sex (it is), it's not the niggling thought that this is all very very strange (it is), and it's certainly not the fact that he is never, never able to have sex with the one person in town he rather suspects he might like to.Because that person never participates.
Relationships: Jiminy Cricket | Archie Hopper/Rumplestiltskin | Mr. Gold





	1. Participation

**Author's Note:**

> This was written for a now-lost prompt on the kink meme where it went something along the lines of "When the Queen created Storybrooke, she made it commonplace for town-wide orgies to take place (to control the populace???). Even though it takes place in Mr. Gold's house, he doesn't join in, until someone convinces him it would be for the best".
> 
> So THIS happened. I hope you enjoy it, even if the premise is a bit odd.

He never participates. 

It's strange, really, considering. Especially considering that this is his home. Perhaps that's part of it, when he thinks about it - Gold is a private, personal creature. Allowing all of these people into his intimate spaces, especially for /this/ must be uncomfortably intimate, even more so than any participation could actually be. 

But a person's body isn't their home, no matter how private they are. But Gold continues to circumvent what is expected of him in a way that seems strange, seems almost... illegal. Archie knows he doesn't much care for these evenings. It's not the casualness of the sex (it is), it's not the niggling thought that this is all very very strange (it is), and it's certainly not the fact that he is never, never able to have sex with the one person in town he rather suspects he might like to.

Because that person never participates. 

And so he accepts the kisses and the touches of the others. He opens his body and opens those offered to him. But his eyes never leave the man sitting in the corner of the room, hands braced on his cane as he stares pointedly into the middle distance. Gold ignores the sea of flesh in his parlor and that makes him impossible for Archie to look away. 

~*~


	2. Proposal

He lingers in the doorway one evening, kneeling beside the plush sofa nearest the door, fingers picking at a particularly snarled knot in his shoelace. 

Tonight has been extra interesting, extra strange.

Unlike most meetings, the mayor had come to call. Like Gold, she did not participate in these evenings, usually selecting a lover to take elsewhere instead. But tonight had found her standing in one corner, opposite of the host, her dark eyes drinking in the scene with a sort of mirth that seemed too cold to be amused. But when she noticed Gold in the corner, alone and fully dressed, her eyes had hardened further, mouth curling downward. 

Now she remained, standing very near him, but Gold continued to stare at the far wall. Archie made another feeble attempt at his shoes and he realized from this angle she probably couldn't even see him, didn't realize he was there.

"Next month, I expect to see you in a more... central role, Mr. Gold."

The other man looked up then, expression alarmed before melting into something half-confused, half-wairy. "I open my home each month to this... arrangement. I rather think that's participation enough."

"One month, Mr. Gold. And you will do more than allow for company in your living room."

His mouth twisted into a smile that spoke of past history and bitterness. He shifted his shoulders, posture moving from small and harmless to cocky and challenging. "Or what, dearie?"

She leaned forward then, giving Archie an impressive view of the curves of her body. She didn't touch Gold, though her painted lips hovered a breath from the shell of his ear. "Or else you might find yourself less ... comfortable, in the future..."

His eyes widened then, brows knitting into an expression of concern. 

Archie ducked back, flattening against the wall as she stalked past him, not sparing him a second glance. Once the door shut, he got shakily to his feet. 

Across the room, Gold remained on his corner chair, shoulders hunched painfully now. He held one hand over his face and the soft sound that vibrated through him left Archie feeling hopelessly interested in a physical sense. 

After the longest moment in the history of moments, Gold looked up and saw him standing there. He jumped. If someone wasn't as familiar with his body language, they might have missed it - the tensing of muscles, the flaring of nostrils, the soft flutter of loose hair. Gold jumped. 

"...Hi," He offered, wondering if the carpet could swallow him up. 

With a sigh, Gold lowered his head, shoulders going slack. His hair fell over his face and for the first time, Archie wondered just how old he actually was. 

"What can I do for you, Doctor?" He said quietly. There was something oddly defeated in that musical tone.

"Actually," He swallowed hard and realized he was still haplessly clutching his one shoe in his hand. Stuffing it behind his back, he pushed his glasses up with his free hand and rallied. "Actually, I was thinking more along the lines of what I can do for you..." 

~*~


	3. Dinne

It took four times, raising his hand and hesitating, before Archie finally managed to connect his fist with the door. It occurred to him roughly four seconds later that Gold possessed a doorbell. 

After a long enough gap that he was certain the man was either in town somewhere, home but ignoring him, had not heard him, or had fled back to his native ...somewhere, the door cracked, stopping as it ran the length of the chain securing it. Gold stared at him wordlessly, expression sour. Finally, he shut the door just as Archie attempted to fumble his name. 

To his surprise, however, the door reopened moments later, now unlatched. 

"Supper is on the table," Gold said simply, turning and limping his way towards the delicious-smelling kitchen. 

Stunned into silence (which was probably best for everyone, really), Archie removed his outerwear and followed him. 

~*~

Gold proved to be a surprisingly cordial host. The conversation was polite and pleasantly engaging (mostly discussing Pongo, his practice, and Gold's own shop). As he rose to refill the wine glasses (a fourth time for himself and a third for his guest), Archie held up a hand, stopping him. "Oh, no, I really... I really shouldn't."

"You won't be driving home tonight, Doctor," Gold said quietly, but he did return to his seat. 

The comfortable mood seemed shattered, and Archie studied his empty plate as Gold toyed with the scraps of his own meal across his. 

With a laugh that was shakier than amused, he ran a hand through his curls. "You know... I don't even know your first name."

When Gold did not respond, he looked up. The man's expression was tight, jaw clenched. Gold appeared to be struggling with something.

"You don't have to tell me if... if you're not comfortable..." He amended quickly. 

Now the other man just looked confused. "It isn't that, it's only..." He trailed off, touching his fingers to his own lips absently. 

"I could guess?" Archie offered, tone light and teasing.

That got the other man's attention. Gold sat up straight, looking up sharply, but when he saw the other man's expression, he seemed to deflate, sinking back into puzzlement once more. "I rather think it would take more than three guesses."

"...So 'Gold' then," He said at last. The man nodded. 

After a moment, his host got to his feet, reaching down to drain his wineglass before collecting his plate. 

"No, no, I'll do that..." Archie said quickly, getting to his feet so fast that Gold unconsciously took a step back, shifting his weight awkwardly on his cane. Feeling his face flush, he reached out to take the plate from the man's unresisting arm. "You cooked. I'm sure I can suss out your kitchen enough to clean up. You just... go make yourself comfortable in the living room."

Gold's expression shifted, rippling like water between surprise, confusion, comprehension, and dread. Finally, he nodded tightly, stiffly making his way around Archie, giving him a wide berth. Kicking himself for his lack of tact, the therapist began collecting the remaining dishes. ...This was going to be a long night.

~*~


	4. Foreplay

He considered the nearly empty bottle one last time, his professional judgement at odds with his intentions. Finally, he filled the remaining wine glass one last time, carefully carrying it into the living room.

Gold sat on the large, high-backed sofa, facing the fire. For a moment, Archie paused in the doorway, watching the firelight flicker across the lines of his ageless face. Gold's profile was something that seemed destined to be recorded in stone - the man had the most unique nose he'd ever seen. His hair seemed alive, golden highlights shifting as the wood crackled and split in the grate. He tried to pretend the man's hands were not clenched, white-knuckled, on the head of his cane. 

Wordlessly, Archie deposited the glass on the table beside him. Gold glanced up, surprised, but he took it nonetheless. He'd had a lot to drink already, but it didn't seem to be relaxing him any. 

He kept a reasonable distance between their hips as he sat beside him, carefully looking at the fire, keeping his hands clasped loosely in his own lap. "So... How would you like to do this?" He asked softly. 

Gold said nothing for a long moment. The silence stretched, finally broken by the light clink of the glass being set aside again, empty. It was simultaneously impressive and worrisome how much alcohol the man had managed to put away. 

Finally, he dared to look at the man next to him. Gold had turned his face towards him, eyes closed, lips parted ever-so-slightly. Gathering his courage, Archie twisted until he could bring one leg up, half-kneeling on the sofa cushions. The other man stiffened when he brought a palm up to stroke his cheek, but Gold did not pull away.

This was as much of an invitation as he was going to get, he realized. Lowering his head, Archie let his mouth settle over Gold's gently. It felt more like a birdwing than the kiss he'd been fantasizing over for who-knew-how-long, but it was achingly sweet. Gold tasted of wine and the herbs from dinner, and he opened his mouth without being coaxed. 

Archie slipped his hand further, cupping the back of his head gently, threading fingers in his long, soft hair. Gold made a small sound, back arching slightly, pushing their mouths together harder. In response, the redhead used his other arm to wrap around his middle, pulling him even closer. 

Fingers combed upwards, scraping bluntly at his shirt, finally settling for gripping near the collar, and Archie leaned into those hands, pushing Gold until he was lying on his back on the cushions. Mindful of the man's bad leg, he shifted his own until he knelt between Gold's thighs. Letting go of his hair, Archie set the cane in the floor before it could slip off the table's edge. He didn't want to face the other man's wrath if it accidentally shattered the wine glass or worse. 

Returning his full attention (and both hands) to the man spread beneath him, he resumed kissing him, trying to keep it sweet and gentle, even as he delved deeper, pressing more insistently. 

When he couldn't stand it anymore, he broke off at last, letting his forehead rest in the hollow of Gold's throat for a moment. With shaking fingers, he reached for the man's tie, unwinding it carefully from its perfect knot. Gold lay passively beneath him, hands down at his own sides. Archie frowned at that. This wasn't what he'd wanted. He'd wanted Gold's reciprocation, to feel the man touching him in return. 

Once the tie was loose, he pulled it free, careful not to choke him, and, letting it drape across Gold's chest, he reached down. Smoothing both palms over his arms, he felt his way down to his wrists, tugging them up lightly, meaning to set Gold's hands on his own waist. To his startlement, Gold raised his hands of his own volition then, meekly crossing both wrists and offering them up towards him. 

Archie froze, watching the way Gold turned his face towards the back of the couch, letting his hair hide his eyes. He looked at the offered wrists and the tie beyond them and realized Gold thought he meant to bind his hands with the silken strand. 

Did Gold... want to be tied up...? 

It was honestly something that had never even occurred to him. The tie was a nice, dark cranberry. It would look good against his skin, bringing the pink undertones to the surface. He reached down, picking up the silk almost reverently, running the thumb of his other hand over Gold's left wrist. Gold shuddered and made a quiet sound that stabbed right through Archie's building desire, hitting him in the quiet place he recognized as his conscience. 

"...Gold...?"

"Please just get on with it," The man ground out, but his voice was too thick to sound as snappish as he would have liked. 

"What exactly am I supposed to be ... getting on with?" He asked, annoyance warring with concern in his voice. 

The other man shifted then, pushing himself up on his elbows. His expression hardened, face sharpening along with his tone. "You came here for a single-minded purpose, Doctor. So get on with it."

He made it sound curt, like a business transaction, and this rankled something in Archie even as it disappointed him. He hadn't come here for it to be like this. This wasn't anything like what he had wanted at all. 

Hurt transformed into crispness in his own voice, and he nodded, removing his glasses and setting them on the table. "Okay, fine," He said coolly, scratching at his hairline for a moment. "You want to do things like that? I can... I can do that."

Letting his mouth settle into a grim line, he snatched up the tie once more. Raising himself up into a crouch, he reached then for Gold's arm. The man didn't weigh much and it was simple enough to yank him up and flip him over onto his stomach. Gold gasped in surprise at this, and he ignored him. Repeating his earlier gesture, he palmed his way down to the man's wrists, drawing them both back behind him. Looping the tie once, twice, three times, he bound the limbs together, pleased to see that he'd been right about the colour, especially against the dark of Gold's shirt. 

Finally, he lowered himself back to the sofa, letting one knee press between Gold's thighs. Experimentally, he worked his leg forward, making Gold gasp in a higher, more scandalized tone. Bowing over the bound man, Archie leaned down until he could whisper in his ear, breath sending tendrils of hair fluttering, "...Is this what you like...?"

Gold snarled then, a harsh, angry sound that rose and splintered into a keening moan, bringing his head back hard. Archie yelped as his skull crashed into his nose, and he stumbled backwards, reeling. The other man bucked again, kicking his legs and digging his knees into the sofa, sending the therapist tumbling to the floor. He landed worryingly close to the fire and lay there a moment, stunned.

On the sofa, Gold curled hard into the crease between cushions and back, drawing up until he seemed even smaller and more tense than Archie had ever seen him. Heat rushed into the redhead's face when he realized with a sinking heart that Gold was crying. 

~*~


	5. Relapse

Gold took the mug he offered him in both hands, still staring sightlessly at the rug. Archie was quick to create space between them, retreating to the chair across the way. 

Carefully, Gold sipped the tea, his expression deceptively mild. His eyes were still red-rimmed and Archie could see the puffy ring of his wrist where he'd struggled against the tie binding him. 

"What just happened?" He asked quietly, trying very hard to sound concerned and calm without slipping into his office persona. 

"...An unintentional relapse," Gold murmured finally. 

"A relapse. Meaning it had something to do with something that happened... before?" He asked carefully.

Gold looked up then, expression dour. "Need me to fetch you a dictionary, Doctor?"

He flushed again and averted his gaze. "...That... won't be necessary." 

Archie was not an idiot. It didn't take much intellectual capacity to put the pieces together. Gold did not like being touched, did not participate in the sexual activities of the monthly gatherings, and had panicked and fought when put into a compromising position. 

"Do you want to talk about it?" He asked then, studying his own mug of tea with false placidity. "About what happened to you... before?"

"...I was robbed," Gold said quietly. "It was... a long time ago. There was a man, in my shop. He..." He broke off then, hands clenching around the cup so hard Archie worried one of them might break. If one of them hadn't already. 

"Did you go to the police?"

Gold shook his head almost absently, eyebrows quirking together briefly. "No, no, not... Not exactly. I called the police, but I didn't... mention..."

"Did they catch him?" 

He snorted softly at that, the smile plying at his lips more sardonic than amused. "There was no need." Sensing Archie's confusion, he looked up at last, meeting his gaze. "...He was still there when the sheriff arrived. I killed him."


End file.
